Welcome Back A-Fib

[pat45750]

It took one week and one day for the a-fib to return after stopping my Multaq. Darn it! I am 5 months post op. THought I might make it without the a-fib. Back to irregular heart beat and 120 beats a minute while resting. My a-fib must be lazy because it mostly happened when I am napping or sleeping. I called the doctor since I did not want to think about the ER. I was told to only go if I was over 130 beats a minute. He told me to start the Multaq again. He had mentioned ablation, so I am going to talk more about that with him. I don't want to stay on Multaq and warfrin for the rest of my life. Guess life would be pretty dull without my friend A-Fib! :smile2: At least it only lasted 15 minutes this time. Originally it lasted for days. Then for about 1/2 hour at a time, so I guess my heart is getting better. Pat

 

[malibu82]

that has to be driving you crazy...now you have to wonder if/when it will come back again!

i am sorry to hear it came back at all!

 

[Guest]

I am 5 1/2 weeks post op valve replacement and a-fib is my friend too. Mainly when I'm lying down. I'm taking medication too but still feel it. I mentioned the funny feeling to my Cardiologist and he didn't seem to care to address it. Hope it goes away for me soon.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Have you considered Sotalol (generic form of BetaPace) which supposedly 'targets' A-Fib?

Several of our members report good control of A-Fib with Sotalol which has few side-effects.

You might want to discuss this option with your Cardio.

Note that the manufacturer recommends being hospitalized for a few days while your body adjusts to the medication
'just in case' one of the dangerous arrhythmias is triggered during your adjustment.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[ottagal]

Pat,
Sorry to hear that your afib is back. I am hoping that this is just a bump and that things will get back on track.
Thinking of you,

 

[nngbwh]

Sorry to hear that your afib is back.

 

[sylviayasgur]

sorry to hear about your afib.
joey has gone through this and there are many meds to try before resorting to an ablation.
as al mentioned, sotalol (betapace) is one. joey tried multaq but it didn't work. he thereafter tried tikosyn, which didn't work either.
so now he's planning to have the ablation.
i would recommend you exhaust the drug route before the ablation as i'm sure your doc has told you.
there are many out there. if you ask, others will come forward and mention them all to you.
good luck, be well. just remember that your heart was "man handled" so it's upset (as dr. stelzer once told us).
please keep us posted on how things go for you,
sylvia

 

[Lily]

Pat, sorry to read this and still hoping it will clear up for you. Have any of your doctors used or recommended any magnesium? When I had post-op A-fib/A-flutter, I was readmitted for a few days and put on Sotalol for a few weeks -- but the doctors also had magnesium administered to me by IV, saying that would also help me. Best wishes

 

[pat45750]

My cardiologist doesn't seem to want to use the Sotalol. He likes amiodoreone which I can't take or the multaq. The Multaq was working, but we both had hoped the a-fib would go away. It did with the multaq. I must have still had some in my system even though I had quit only a week before the a-fib came back since this time it only lasted 5 minutes with a heart beat of 120. So my heart is getting better. I started right back on the multaq and haven't had problems again for the last few days. Maybe if I give it a few more months with the multaq, it will finally quiet down. I don't want to stay on multaq and warfrin for the rest of my life - if possible.

Last appointment he suggested ablation if the a-fib came back, this appointment he is just talking staying on meds. Maybe I will have to get a second opinion if things don't clear up. Ablation doesn't sound like fun, but neither is valve replacement.

I feel really good other than that. It seems like it has been a long road to recovery after OHS. Not for weaklings! LOL Thanks to everyone for their input. Pat

 

[pat45750]

topmommy

Hi. As you have read, a lot of people get a-fib. About 40-50% as I remember. It is not unusual at your point in recovery. I stayed in the hospital for 8 days while they treated me for the a-fib. Your cardiologist should be concerned about it. I assume you are also on warfrin? It feels like there is a fish flopping around in my chest when it happens. It usally happens to me when I am sleeping or taking a nap. I wake up with the funny flopping feeling. It use to last for hours and now down to minutes. If it keeps happening, you should talk more about it with your surgeon. You don't want to be running around and really active when it happens as far as I know. That is when you could throw a blood clot and get a stroke. That's what the warfrin is for - to protect you. I had it happen in PT once and they wheeled me to the ER. It is something you need to be aware of and tell your doctor about. I guess some people live with it all their lives - can't be fun. Good Luck with your recovery. It takes time, but eventually you will feel good again. Pat

 

[Michelle D]

I'm so sorry to hear that Pat, I still haven't been off the Sotalol, I see my cardio next Monday and I think she will take me off. I have my fingers crossed. Have you thought about sotalol? It took some getting used to at first but now it doesn't bother me at all and it is fine to take long term, so I might even elect to get off at my 1 year appointment.

 

[Michelle D]

Sorry just read your comment about your cardio not wanting to use sotalol. It isn't as powerful but it might be just enough.

 

[pat45750]

Saw my cardio and we changed plans again. I am off the Multaq since it is really expensive costing me $180 a month. Also I don't want to be on meds long term if possible. My last a-fib was only for 5 minutes. So I said that I was hoping my heart is slowly getting better. I am now on Propafenone to keep my heart beat slower when I get a-fib. I thought it worth trying to see if the a-fib will go away. Staying on warfrin. If I have to stay on it long term, he will give me a new blood thinner med that I don't have to have my INR checked. So meantime, I will see if my a-fib returns and how long it lasts with the Propaffenone to keep my heart beat slower. Ablation is a bit iffy right now since my heart is still on the border of being enlarged and normal. He said ablation doesn't work well if the heart chamber is slightly enlarged. So life goes on with or without a-fib. I feel really good and am pretty active. Just spent several days at the ocean in NC to get away from it all in Ohio. Fun to be away for a change instead of being in Cleveland in the hospital. Pat